Uncle Evert is in jail for killing Gabriel Winterborne’s family and trying to take over his fortune. The five children, Colin, Sadie, Tim, Violet and April, living in the Mansion with Gabriel as their guardian, discover Gabriel is also the Sentinel, a vigilante that protects the city with skill, swords and knives.
Isabella, head of the Winterborne Foundation, can’t be found. This is not the only disturbing mystery. Who is the fake vigilante dressed in identical clothing to Gabriel, that breaks into the Mansion looking for something or someone? The scariest part is the level of destruction they leave behind.
Someone from Child Protective Services arrives with accusation that Gabriel is an unsuitable guardian, especially with Isabella’s absence. She is determined to remove the children from the Mansion.
But these extraordinary children haven’t been chosen at random to become part of the Winterborne family. They are intelligent, sharp, courageous and proactive. Can they solve the surge of mysteries that envelope them?
Through chases and near misses, explosions and escapes, April and the other children search for Gabriel. Their home and safety depend on their finding him soon, as their absolute belief is he would never willingly abandon them. April believes he is either dead or seriously wounded.
Who is the strange woman that shows up after ten years claiming to be April’s mother? Then there is Reggie Dupree who claims to be her father!
No one is who they claim to be. What other secrets lay hidden in and beneath the Winterborne Mansion? No one is to be trusted, for Gabriel’s billions are a magnet for every con artist.
What connection, if any, does April have to the Winterbornes? Does the key worn for years around her neck hold the answer? What about the woman who claims to be her mother? What role does she play amidst all the mystery and mayhem?
Title: Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Hachette, $ 14.99
Publication Date: 23 February 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780734419187
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction